History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 25

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 25

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AUDITOR'S OFFICE, September 11, 1850.

Be it remembered, that on this 1 1th day of Septem- ber, in the year 1850, the commissioners of San- dusky county, upon application, met for the purpose of considering the propriety of giving notice for a vote of the people of said county in favor of or against subscription to the capital stock of the Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company.

The result of the meeting was that notice was ordered to be given to the voters of the county to vote for or against subscription at the next annual election, to be held on the 8th day of October, 1851.

The notice specified that the voters

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were to authorize the commissioners to subscribe one hundred thousand dollars. The vote was taken, and there was a ma- jority against the subscription, and the question was decided adversely to the subscription. The line of the road was located, and did not pass through either Woodville or Townsend township, the · voters of which naturally felt averse to being taxed for an improvement which would confer no special benefit on them. Besides this, many of the people of Town- send township did their trading at San- dusky City, and were more interested in the advancement of that place than that of Fremont, and it was suspected at the time that Sandusky City influence and argument had something to do in influ- encing the votes of these townships, and both townships voted heavily against the subscription. As to procuring individual subscriptions sufficient to do Sandusky county's fair proportion of the amount necessary to build the road, that had been tried and seemed to be an impossibility. The success of the road by this adverse vote was put under a cloud, and many of its friends were discouraged, while others of the never-give-up sort, among whom the indefatigable president, Boalt, was a leader, did not for a moment despair of final success, nor abate their zeal and work in behalf of building the road. The efforts of these persevering men resulted in the passage of an act by the General Assembly of the State, January 20, 1851, authorizing a vote of the county on the question of subscription, excepting the townships of Woodville and Town- send, which townships should not be taxed to pay for the stock.

At the next regular session of the com- missioners, March 4, 1851, the board, then consisting of Messrs. Martin Wright, Hiram Hurd, and Michael Reed (who suc- ceeded Mr. Gardner), ordered that notice

be given to the voters of the county, ex- cepting those in Woodville and Townsend townships, to vote for or against a county subscription of fifty thousand dollars to the capital stock of Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company, at the then next ensuing annual April election.

The question of subscription now be- came the absorbing topic in the public mind, throughout that portion of the county on which the responsibility was placed, by the amended law of January 20, 1851. At that time the political par- ties were the Democratic against the Whig party, and the former was largely in the majority. R. P. Buckland was then a practicing lawyer and a prominent and influential man, and was also the acknowl- edged leader and champion of the Whig party. On the other side, Homer Everett was also a lawyer and then held the office of county auditor by the suffrage of the Democratic party. Both were in favor of the proposition to subscribe the stock. The county commissioners were all ardent Dem- ocrats, and not very decided in their views on the question at issue, but like wise pol- iticians, expressed no convictions or opin- ions on the measure. The friends of the measure very wisely concluded that it would not advance their cause to permit the proposition to assume the form of a polit- ical party issue, which some of the oppo- sition were striving to give it. It was finally determined to hold a series of meetings at school-houses in the different townships in which the people were to vote, and have addresses made to convince the voters, especially the farmers, that the construction of the road would benefit them in a pecuniary point of view. An arrangement was thereupon made that these meetings should be attended and addressed by Ralph P. Buckland and Homer Everett jointly, and that both should give assurance that the question

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had no relation to party politics, and the two gentlemen very willingly volunteered in the service without pay and at their own expense. Numerous meetings and consultations were appointed and adver- tised, at which the time was equally divid- ed between the two speakers, and various arguments were by them offered, such as the increased price of wheat, pork, eggs, butter, etc., which would result from cheap and rapid transportation by the railroad, and the resulting increase in the value of their lands. The speakers also offered to answer as well as they could any questions about the matter in discussion which anyone in the meeting would ask. Some of the questions asked and some of the objections to building the road were really curious, and if propounded to day would bring out only laughter from old and young in response. Some would ask how the building of the road would operate on the prices of horses and oats? Would not the railroad destroy the occupation of teaming, and thereby throw a great num- ber of men and horses out of employ- ment. Another objection was raised by certain hotel-keepers and land owners re- siding along the Maumee and Western Reserve turnpike. These claimed that not only would the occupation of hauling by wagon be destroyed, but that all the emi- gration which afforded these their chief income, would be diverted; that it would be very unjust to the State; that travel on the turnpike would cease, no tolls would be collected, and the road on which the State had spent such large sums of money would grow up to grass and be abandoned and so the State be made a great loser by the railroad. The speakers awswered all these questions in a friendly and respect- ful way, as well as they could, and pressed on in their work. Particular mention of two meetings will serve to illustrate the spirit and the persistence with which this

railroad campaign was carried by those who opposed as well as those who worked for the road. One was at Van Waggoner's school-house, as it was called, a little north of what is since called Winters' Station, in Jackson township. That township was not touched by the line of the road, and of course not so directly benefited by its construction as some other townships. Word came to the friends of the road that opposition to it had sprung up in that township and neighborhood, and that the vote of the township would probably go against the county subscription.

Sardis Birchard, who had influence and many personal friends and acquaintances there, volunteered to go with the speakers to that meeting. In the evening Messrs. Birchard, Buckland, and Everett, and John K. Pease, started on horseback from Fremont, and reached the school-house a little after eight o'clock. They found there from thirty to fifty voters. Addresses were made, and then a free consultation over the subject took place, in which Mr. Birchard did effective work in telling the voters what he had seen of the effect of railroads in other localities, and in answer- ing questions. This consultation became so animated and interesting that the meet- ing did not disperse until after twelve o'clock; and when Mr. Birchard and the speakers reached Fremont, on their return, it was after two o'clock, A. M. Another meeting was appointed for the speakers at the school-house at Gale Town, a little hamlet about three miles southward from Hamer's Corner, now Clyde.

The leading man of Gale Town was one James Morrel. He was a justice of the peace, an active man in all public affairs, and withal the controlling member of the local board of school directors. Mr. Morrel was ardently opposed to having the county subscribe for the stock, and had infused his feelings and sentiments 1

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

into the minds of his neighbors, so that the locality was quite strongly anti-sub- scription. The speakers were there about eight o'clock, expecting to find the school-house lighted and the men as- sembled to hear what was to be said. But all was dark. One of the residents was found, who at once set off to Mr. Morrel's residence for the key to the school-house, but returned with the word that the directors had consulted over the matter and concluded that the school- house should not be used to advocate a scheme to swindle the tax-payers of the county. However, a man was found, after some effort, who said, though he was opposed to subscribing for the road, he thought it wrong to treat men so who came to speak on the subject, and he be- lieved it was right to hear both sides.

This gentleman procured admission into a small wagonmaker's shop, where the work man had left his tools and lumber in readi- ness to commence the next day's work. He also procured a single tallow candle, which he fastened to the wall back of the work-bench; and, after partially clearing the bench, a few men besides the speakers gathered in to hear. The only way to get light enough to read memoranda, or reckon figures, was for the speakers to stand on the work-bench and read, and from there deliver their remarks and an- swer questions. They mounted the bench and undertook to set forth the benefits which that part of the county would de- rive from the railroad when constructed. Hamer's Corners, since named Clyde, was indeed a promising place for marketing farm produce, and the speakers endeav- ored to convince the few hearers there of the fact. After talking about half an hour each, and answering various questions and replying to sundry objections, the speakers came home, quite well satisfied that if the people of Green Creek township were so

blind about their own interest, the success of the road was very uncertain.

On the Saturday next before the elec- tion, there were more men in the city than usual on that day. Mr. Birchard, and John R. Pease, and other friends of the road had become alarmed about the result. These men noticed the fact that there was, for some reason, on that day, a large proportion of Democrats on the streets, and also a number of the active opponents of the road. Mr. Everett had been out speaking the night before until quite late, and, after dinner, hoarse, tired, and thoroughly exhausted, had sought the refreshment only to be found in sleep. He was awakened by a delegation, sent by Mr. Birchard and others, with orders to go at once into the street and make an address on the railroad question. Worn and hoarse, and unfit as he was, he obeyed the orders under the impulse of his own zeal in the work, and for about half an hour summed up the arguments pro and con to a large crowd of listeners on Front street, in the open air, and this ended his labors in that campaign. Much discussion of the measure between individuals was had that day, and great good for the work was no doubt accomplished.

The election was held on the first Mon- day in April, 1851, and the following cer- tificate shows the result:

STATE OF OHIO, SANDUSKY COUNTY, USS. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.

I, La Q. Rawson, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said county, hereby certify that, at the election held in the several election districts in said county, except the townships of Townsend and Woodville, for the purpose of voting for or against railroad subscription to the capital stock of the To- ledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company, the vote, as appears by the abstract and returns on file, stands as follows:

For railroad subscription . 1,174

Against railroad subscription . 774

Majority 400

D. CAPPER, Deputy Clerk.

April 10, 1851.

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

On the 16th day of April, 1851, the county commissioners, namely: Martin Wright, Michael Reed, and Hiram Hurd, met at the auditor's office, and, as their journal shows, found that the election had been had, and that a majority of the votes cast on the question was in favor of sub- scribing fifty thousand dollars to the capital stock of the road, ordered the stock to be subscribed accordingly, and that bonds to pay the same be issued, bearing interest coupons at seven per cent. per annum, payable semi-annually, in due form, and in two series ; one series num- bered from one to forty, inclusive, for one thousand dollars each, and the others num- bered from one to one hundred, inclusive, for one hundred dollars each. The order further provided that these bonds be de- livered when there was executed a stipu- lation to abide the proposition of the di- rectors of the company against loss, and upon delivering the proper certificate of stock equal to the amount of the bonds.

The stipulation with the directors of the road alluded to in the order was, that the county should not suffer any loss by the subscription for stock. The bonds were made ready for delivery, but the commis- sioners refused to deliver them until there was ample security given to indemnify against loss, according to the verbal prom- ise of the directors.

The undertaking of the directors them- selves did not satisfy the commissioners, and they then demanded a bond, signed by residents of the county, of known abili- ty, to pay any damage or loss the county might suffer.

Thereupon came a suspension of the delivery of the bonds for nearly two days. The friends of the road finally agreed to indemnify the county against all loss by reason of subscribing the stock and issu- ing the bonds, on condition that the com- missioners would stipulate in the bond of

indemnity to sell and transfer the stock whenever the signers of the bond should require them to do so. A bond was drawn, with the conditions clearly set out, and delivered to Sardis Birchard, who un- dertook to return it, signed by men whose pecuniary circumstances would satisfy the commissioners, that in no event could the county be a loser by taking the stock and delivering the bonds. This undertaking was returned on the second day after, signed by about thirty of the solid men of the county. The bond is not now in ex- istence, or at least cannot be found, but the wiiter of this sketch thinks now it was for the penal sum of one hundred thou- sand dollars, and, though he cannot re- member the names of all the signers, re- calls now among them the names of Sardis Birchard, R. P. Buckland, Rodolphus Dickinson, Nathan P. Birdseye, James Moore, John R. Pease, and La Q. Raw- son. He much regrets his inability to place on record all the other signers, that the present and future inhabitants of the county might know who is entitled to their gratitude for the great benefits the road has conferred and is still conferring, and will continually confer on all who reside or may reside in the county. At the time this indemnity was demanded, it was plainly to be seen that, but for the prompt action of these signers, the road would probably not have been built, or, if built, it would not have passed through Fremont. But the indemnity was so ample that there was no longer any excuse for the exercise of that vigilant, if not extreme prudence, on the part of the commissioners, which came so near to working a final defeat of the enterprise.

The bonds were delivered and the stock taken, however, and the rapid construc- tion of the road followed. A consolida- tion of the Junction and the Toledo, Nor- walk & Cleveland roads was doubtless

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arranged for privately by the managers early in 1853. But the agreement to con- solidate was not publicly and certainly known until July 15, and then to take effect September 1, 1853.

In this arrangement such terms were made as to raise the value of the stock of Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland consider- ably above par, and create a demand for it, in which condition of affairs the signers of the indemnifying bond demanded a sale of the stock held by the county. The stock was sold sometime in April, 1853, and the bonds redeemed and burnt up July 1, 1853, by the commissioners. In the transaction the county gained by the rise of the stock over fifteen hundred dol- lars above all expenses.

The first through passenger train passed over the road on the 7th day of February, 1853. After the consolidation the road was called the Cleveland & Toledo Rail- road, and passed by that name until it was consolidated with the Lake Shore road, April 6, 1869, since which date it has been denominated the Southern Divis- ion of that road, and has formed a part of one of the great trunk lines of road from east to west.

THE BENEFITS OF THE ROAD CONSIDERED.

The reader will remember how, in the history of this road, the project was op- posed and was once voted down; how cautious the county commissioners were in requiring a guarantee against loss by the county, in consequence of subscribing fifty thousand dollars to the capital stock, in order to insure the construction of the road, and how, afterwards, the stock was sold at a premium of fifteen hundred dol- lars. Now let us glance briefly at the fur- ther results which so completely justify the friends of the road in their efforts to

build it, and at the same time illustrates the folly of opposing the march of im- provement which had then (1852), reached this county on its way to the Great West.

In 1854 the county duplicate shows that the Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company paid into the county for taxes on its property the sum of three thousand three hundred and sixty-four dollars and thirty-five cents. Ten years later, in 1864, it paid for taxes into the treasury, nine thousand four hundred and fifteen dollars and twenty-five cents.

This annual tax increased year by year until, in 1876, it paid into the treasury for taxes the sum of seventeen thousand two hundred and ninety-eight dollars.

In the year 1877 the amount was a lit- tle less, being sixteen thousand three hun- dred and seventy-four dollars. In 1878 the amount paid for taxes was twelve thou- sand two hundred and thirty-four dollars. In 1880 the sum paid was thirteen thou- sand and ninety-nine dollars and thirty cents.

The county auditors will show, that dur- ing the twenty-eight years of its existence, and including the year 1880, the road has paid into the treasury of this county alone, an average yearly tax of not less than nine thousand dollars, or an aggregate sum of two hundred and fifty-two thousand dollars. Now add to this large sum, which is to be swelled year by year, the gain to our farmers from the increased price of their products, and also the in- creased value of farming and city real estate in the county, and surely the friends of the road who resided in the county and struggled so hard to have it built, are justified in their views and opinions, and rewarded amply for all their labors for the public good.

CHAPTER XV.

THE FREMONT & INDIANA RAILROAD.

Organization of the Company-Building the Road-Its Financial Difficulties-Sales of Road-Re-organization of the Company-Change of Name-Perseverance, Trials, and Pluck of the President and some of the Directors-How it came to be Part of a Great, Important Line of Transportation, now called the Lake Erie & Western Railway.

THE construction of the plank-roads had given such impetus to business, and the completion of the Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad had so clearly demon- strated that all, and more than all, the benefits promised by its advocates were realized, that the town became ambitious for further improvements, and under the stimulus of this ambition the

FREMONT AND INDIANA RAILROAD COM- PANY WAS INCORPORATED.

The General Assembly of the State of Ohio had passed an act, May 1st, 1852, to create and regulate railroad companies. The act provided that any persons, to the number of five, by certain proceedings might obtain from the Secretary of State a certificate of incorporation, and thereby become a body corporate, with all the powers n. cessary to build a railroad in Ohio. The Fremont & Indiana Railroad Company was incorporated under this law by certificate dated April 25, 1853. The incorporators were L. Q. Rawson, Sardis Birchard, James Justice, John R. Pease, and Charles W. Foster-Mr. Fos- ter residing at that time at Rome, in Sen- eca county, and the other corporators at Fremont, in Sandusky county.

The corporators, their associates, suc- cessors, and assigns were empowered to build a railroad from Fremont, in Sandus- ky county, thence through Sandusky and Seneca counties to the town of Rome, in Seneca county; thence through Seneca

and Hancock counties to the town of Findlay, in said county of Hancock; thence through the counties of Hancock, Allen, Auglaize, Mercer, and Darke to the west line of the State of Ohio, in the county of Darke. The certificate of incorpora- tion specified the capital stock of the company to be two hundred thousand dollars. This capital stock, on the 17th of October, 1853, was increased by the proper certificate to one million two hun- dred thousand dollars, and again increased, July 23, 1855, to two millions of dollars.

The law of May 1, 1852, to create and regulate railroad companies, provided that, so soon as ten per centum of the capital stock should be subscribed, and five dol- lars on each share paid in, the corporators might notify the stockholders to meet and elect directors, and the directors should then meet and elect a president, secretary, and treasurer.

These requirements of the statute were promptly complied with, and the company organized, during the time that the capital stock was fixed at two hundred thousand dollars, as designated in the original cer- tificate of incorporation. The increase of capital stock was authorized subsequently.

The directors elected L. Q. Rawson, president; A. J. Hale, secretary, and Squire Carlin, treasurer of the company.

The work of obtaining the right of way and contracting for the building of the road was promptly begun. True it was, that the completion of the Toledo, Nor-

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

walk & Cleveland Railroad, and advent of the iron horse harnessed for regular business on the 7th of February, 1853, had demonstrated the advantages of rail- roads to the county, and had overcome the prejudices which the advocates of that road were compelled to meet and van- quish. But the friends of the Fremont & Indiana road encountered difficulties which, though of another kind, were no less formidable; these were an indiffer- ence on the part of a portion of our people, resulting partly from the unfavor- able condition of our money market. These causes combined rendered the ob- taining of money to carry on the work very difficult. But the president of the company, L. Q. Rawson, was determined to build the road. In his indomitable will to accomplish this he was supported by such men as James Moore, Charles W. Foster, David J. Corey, and Squire Carlin, the two latter named being resi- dents of Findlay, in Hancock county ; Foster residing at Fostoria, formerly Rome, in Seneca county, and Rawson and Moore being residents of Sandusky county.

How the road was bonded ; how and at what rates the bonds were sold and se- cured by mortgage on the road; how the obligations of the company were found unavailable for the purchase of iron for the road; how the five men above named, under the influence of President Rawson's will and pluck, pledged their private for- tunes to obtain the iron for the road, and what and how much these five brave men were compelled to sacrifice for the com- pletion of the road to Findlay, and how they labored to extend the road further on, might form an interesting chapter in this history, if space permitted its insertion. But it is enough to say briefly, that, but for the bravery and pluck of these men, under great discouragements, and their

large sacrifices of their own private means, the road would not have been built, and Fremont might never have realized the benefits of a southern and southwestern line of transportation.

WHEN THE CARS FIRST RUN TO FOSTORIA.

By the pluck, perseverance, and pecuni- ary sacrifices of these men the road was built, iron laid, and cars for carrying freight and passengers put running from Fremont to Fostoria, formerly Rome, on the Ist day of February, A. D. 1859.

During the summer and fall of 1859 the work progressed, and iron was laid to within about one mile of Findlay. The people of Findlay were very desirous of its. completion, but they did not come for- ward with the money, and the resources of the company were exhausted.

In this condition of affairs David J .- Corey, one of the directors above named, usually called Judge Corey, went to New York early in the spring of 1860, and on his own private credit bought iron suffi- cient to complete the track into the town of Findlay, thereby making a distance of thirty-seven miles from Fremont.

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History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 25

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040